1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inertial impactor that uses the flow rate of a gas stream to separate oil particles in the engine crankcase emissions. The impactor is designed to separate those particles whose aerodynamic diameters in the range of 0.3 μm to 0.7 μm.
The present invention further relates to an inertial impactor to be placed with the impaction plate in close proximity to a heat source, like a hot surface such as an exhaust manifold to aid in the deposition of the oil particles on the impaction plate.
The present invention further relates to an inertial impactor that removes oil particles of a specific particle size from the gas stream from the engine crankcase emissions that will build up in an impaction plate and not deposit onto the turbocharger blades.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ferguson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,043 discloses a method of collecting particles in a gas sample that comprises impacting the particles in the gas sample on a porous material onto impactors that include porous substrates.
Fedorowicz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,018 discloses a flat panel filter element for diesel engine crankcase ventilation filter. The flat panel element has a media that includes coalescing media spinning a horizontal support and sealing a perimeter border framer and passing downwardly. Fedorowiz et al. '018 includes an inertial separator in a pre-chamber wherein the inertial separator is preferably and vertically extending rough porous member.
Holm, U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,738 discloses an inertial gas liquid separator having an inlet for receiving a gas liquid stream and an outlet for discharging a gas stream. Nozzle structure in the housing has a plurality of nozzles receiving the gas liquid stream from the inlet and accelerating the gas liquid stream through the nozzles. An inertial collector in the housing in the path of the accelerated gas liquid stream causes a sharp directional change in the gas liquid stream and in a preferred form has a rough porous collection surface causing liquid particles separation from the liquid gas stream of smaller size liquid particles than a smooth non-porous impactor impingement surface and without the sharp cut-off size of the porous structures. This improves the overall separation efficiency including for smaller liquid particles.
Ferguson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,043 we do not understand the initial impactor of the present invention to use a porous substrate.
Burton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,741 discloses a virtual impactor that can remove essential particles from an air stream. Particularly, the impactor separates particles larger than 0.1 micrometers from an air stream. The virtual impactor comprises nozzle means for accelerating the entering air stream particles receiving means positioned downstream from the nozzle and a chamber serve communication that the gap between the nozzle and the receiver. The nozzle comprises an inlet and an elongated outlet having both dimensions between 0.007 and 0.010 inches and further having a longitudinal axis normal to and passing through the center of the elongated outlet. The particle receiving means comprises an elongated inlet having a width dimension of between about 0.013 and 0.015 inches and an outlet. It further has a longitudinal axis normal to and passing through the center of the elongated inlet. The particle is receiving means is positioned downstream from the outlet of the nozzle so that the flow gap there between is between about 0.008 and 0.012 inches and is positioned so that longitudinal axis of the nozzle and the longitudinal axis of the receiver are substantially coaxial and so that the width dimension of the nozzle means outlet and the width dimension of the receiving means are substantially parallel. The chamber is configured to be in fluid communication with a vacuum source, as is the outlet of the particle receiving means.
Haldipur et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,760 discloses an apparatus and method for separating particulates from gas produced by combustion of fossil fuel. The apparatus includes a main vessel having lower compartment in which fuel is burned in an upper compartment in which the separation particulates take place. The separation is effective by combining rough cyclones for separating the larger particles with modules of cross flow filters for separating the residual smaller particles that emerge from the cyclones. The upper compartment includes a plurality of pressure vessels each containing a cyclone and modules of cross flow filters mounted vertically.
Hill, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,203 discloses an oil separator positioned in the positive of the crankcase ventilation system adjacent to the engine such that oil separator is subjected to a predetermined minimum operator temperature. The oil separator comprises an opening through which the oil, fuel and water particles pass with the gas stream. The oil separator is constructed an arranged to cause the oil particles to strike an impactor plate and be separated from the gas flow while fuel and water particles pass on through the system and re-enter the engine.
Marple, U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,202 discloses a single stage impactor having a plurality of different size nozzles that predicate a particular collection efficiency curve that approximates a predetermined curve. The impactor has a particle collection plate mounted in the casing having a passage connected to an air-moving device. The nozzle plate has a plurality of different sized nozzles mounted on the collection plate. The sizes of the different nozzles are coordinated with the pressure drop around the nozzle plate to provide the nozzles with different particle collection cut-off characteristics. The combined collection efficiency curve or penetration curve if all the different sized nozzles approximates a predetermined curve as a respirable particle penetration curve.